The cinematic landscape of modern psychological thrillers has undergone a quiet revolution, moving away from the claustrophobic interiors of traditional dramas and into the vast, unsettling beauty of the natural world. This shift is perfectly encapsulated in the visual language of the 2022 film Alice, Darling. While the narrative core of the film focuses on the insidious nature of emotional abuse and the strength of female friendship, its visual delivery relies heavily on the art of aerial filmmaking to convey its most complex themes.
To understand what Alice, Darling is about from a production standpoint, one must look at how the filmmakers utilized aerial perspectives to bridge the gap between the protagonist’s internal entrapment and the deceptive freedom of the Canadian wilderness. In the realm of aerial filmmaking, this project serves as a masterclass in using drones not just for “epic” filler shots, but as a primary tool for narrative subtext.
The Visual Narrative: Mapping the Landscape of a Psychological Thriller
The film stars Anna Kendrick as Alice, a woman trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship who joins her friends on a vacation to a remote cottage. The choice of location—the lush, dense forests and expansive lakes of Ontario—provides the perfect canvas for aerial cinematography. In this context, aerial filmmaking is used to map the psychological state of the characters against the physical scale of their environment.
The Power of Perspective in Indie Cinema
In smaller-budget independent films, aerial shots were once considered a luxury reserved for establishing the setting. However, the advancement of drone technology has made high-end aerial cinematography accessible to character-driven dramas like Alice, Darling. What the film is “about” visually is the contrast between the micro and the macro. By using drones to hover above the treeline or glide across the mirror-like surface of the lake, the cinematography creates a sense of “enforced peace.” The viewer sees the beauty of the landscape, but the high-angle perspective suggests a lack of escape. This “God’s Eye View” is a classic aerial filmmaking technique that, when applied to a thriller, transforms the scenery into a silent observer of the protagonist’s struggle.
Establishing the Atmosphere of Isolation
One of the most effective uses of aerial shots in the film is the establishment of isolation. To capture the feeling of being miles away from help, the aerial unit utilizes wide-angle lenses on stabilized drone platforms to pull back from the cottage. This reverse-tracking shot, rising into the air, emphasizes the cottage’s vulnerability. It highlights that while Alice is surrounded by her best friends, she is physically and emotionally isolated from the world that could provide safety. For aerial filmmakers, this illustrates the importance of the “pull-away” shot as a tool for emotional resonance rather than just a way to show off the location.
Technical Execution: Mastering Aerial Shots in Remote Locations
The production of Alice, Darling faced the unique challenge of filming in the Canadian Shield, an area known for its unpredictable weather and dense forest canopies. Executing high-quality aerial cinematography in such environments requires a sophisticated understanding of both flight technology and cinematic composition.
Logistics of Over-Water Flight and Forest Canopies
Filming over water, as seen in the many lake sequences in the film, presents specific technical hurdles. Surface reflections can often confuse downward-facing vision sensors on standard consumer drones, making stabilization difficult. Professional aerial units often utilize manual flight modes and polarized ND (Neutral Density) filters to manage the glare from the water while ensuring the drone maintains a consistent altitude.
In the forest sequences, the challenge shifts to signal penetration and obstacle avoidance. The dense canopy acts as a natural barrier to GPS signals and radio frequencies. For the aerial filmmakers on Alice, Darling, this likely required the use of high-gain antennas and spotters to maintain a line of sight. These technical decisions are crucial because they allow the camera to get close to the actors while maintaining the fluidity of motion that characterizes modern aerial storytelling.
Matching Textures: Drone Sensors vs. Cinema Cameras
A perennial challenge in aerial filmmaking is ensuring that the footage captured by the drone matches the aesthetic of the “A-camera” (typically an Arri Alexa or RED system). In Alice, Darling, the cinematography is soft, intimate, and slightly desaturated to reflect the somber mood. To achieve this with a drone, the aerial team must utilize high-bitrate codecs (such as Apple ProRes 422 HQ) and 10-bit color profiles.
By shooting in a “log” profile, colorists can match the dynamic range and grain structure of the aerial shots to the handheld footage used in the cabin. This seamless integration is what allows the film to transition from an intimate close-up of Alice’s face to a sweeping overhead shot of the forest without breaking the viewer’s immersion. It highlights a key principle of professional aerial filmmaking: the best drone shot is the one that the audience doesn’t realize was taken by a drone.
The Psychology of the Lens: Drones as a Narrative Device
Beyond technical specs and logistics, Alice, Darling is about the psychological weight of being watched. The film uses aerial filmmaking to simulate a “predatory” gaze, even when no physical predator is present.
The Predatory Lens: Utilizing High-Angle Perspectives
There is a specific type of tension created when a camera looks straight down at a subject from a great height. In aerial filmmaking, this is known as the “nadir” shot. When Alice is seen from directly above while swimming or standing on a dock, the camera feels detached and judgmental. It strips away her agency, making her look like a specimen under a microscope. This is a deliberate choice; it mimics the feeling of being monitored by an abusive partner. The drone becomes an extension of the antagonist’s influence, hovering over the story even when he is not on screen.
Enhancing Tension through Dynamic Camera Movement
While static aerial shots provide scale, dynamic movement provides energy. The film utilizes slow, creeping orbits and low-altitude tracking shots to follow the characters through the woods. Unlike a traditional Steadicam shot, a drone can move through uneven terrain and over water with a smoothness that feels unnatural—almost ghostly. This “uncanny” smoothness is a creative technique used to heighten the suspense. By keeping the drone at a low altitude (10 to 20 feet), the filmmakers create a sense of forward momentum that mirrors Alice’s internal ticking clock.
Post-Production Synergy: Grading and Sound for Aerial Scenes
The final impact of the aerial filmmaking in Alice, Darling is solidified in the post-production suite. Because the film deals with heavy emotional themes, the aerial footage cannot look like a bright, sunny travel vlog.
Color Correction for Atmospheric Depth
The color grading for the aerial sequences in the film focuses on “cool” tones—deep greens, muted blues, and slate grays. This helps to convey the coldness of the emotional environment despite the lush summer setting. Aerial filmmakers often have to deal with atmospheric haze, which can wash out colors at high altitudes. Using dehaze tools and specific LUTs (Look-Up Tables), the post-production team ensures that the forest looks ancient and oppressive rather than inviting.
Sound Design: Integrating the Aerial Experience
What often goes unnoticed in discussions of aerial filmmaking is the role of sound. Drones, by nature, are loud and intrusive, meaning all sound for aerial shots must be created in post. In Alice, Darling, the aerial sequences are accompanied by an eerie, minimalist score and heightened diegetic sounds—the lapping of water, the wind through the pines, and the distant call of a loon. This auditory layering is what makes the aerial shots feel grounded in the reality of the scene rather than like detached stock footage.
Modern Standards: The Evolution of Aerial Filmmaking in Character-Driven Stories
Alice, Darling represents a significant moment for the use of drones in cinema. It proves that aerial filmmaking is no longer just for action movies or documentaries; it is a vital component of the “visual grammar” of the modern psychological thriller.
By understanding what the film is about—vulnerability, isolation, and the search for perspective—we can see how the aerial unit chose their flight paths and angles to serve the story. The move toward using smaller, more agile UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) allows directors to fly in tighter spaces and achieve shots that were previously impossible or too expensive.
As we look to the future of the industry, the integration of AI-assisted flight modes and improved sensor technology will only further the ability of filmmakers to use the sky as a canvas. In the case of Alice, Darling, the aerial cinematography doesn’t just show us where the story is happening; it tells us how the character feels. This shift from “spectacle” to “substance” is the hallmark of professional aerial filmmaking in the 21st century. The film stands as a testament to the fact that sometimes, to truly understand the depth of a person’s internal struggle, you have to see them from a thousand feet in the air.